Termites can cause a great deal of damage to a home, and if they are not stopped, they could cause your home to become structurally unstable. The damage caused by termites can be repaired provided that it has not been ongoing for several years. Before engaging in any repair to termite damage, you may want to have a licensed engineer look your home over to make sure that your home is safe and termite-free.

Stop the Bugs First

According to Askthebuilder.com, the first step to repairing any termite damage is to stop the infestation first. Have a professional exterminator look over your entire property and develop a plan for ridding the house of termites, and then stopping any future termites from getting into your home. In most cases termites will attack any kind of wood structure that is sitting directly on the ground as opposed to on a concrete slab, so that is where an exterminator will start. The exterminator will let you know how bad your infestation was, and then you can have the damage assessed from there.

Structural Assessment

In many cases your exterminator can give you a general idea of how long you have had termites simply based on the structural damage they can see. But it is the damage you cannot see that can determine how much repair work you will need to have done. According to Orkin, you should hire a termite inspector to come to your home and assess the damage done by the bugs, and then have a contractor let you know what it will cost to have the damage completely repaired. In some cases repair may mean demolishing part of the structure and rebuilding it. These steps are necessary when termites have compromised the structural integrity of load-bearing wood within the house. Work with your insurance company to help pay for the cost of repair. Termite damage can be repaired, but to make sure it is done right it needs to be done by a professional.

Preventing Future Problems

Unfortunately termites do return to areas where they have been in the past. If you have had termites in the past then you need to assume that you will have them again. Have your property inspected annually by a termite inspector to see if any new damage has begun. If you catch termites early enough you can have them exterminated without doing any repair work. Take preemptive actions such as an annual treatment around your property to prevent termites from damaging your home in the future.

Source:

Homeowner.net - Protect Your House from Termite Damage

Orkin - Repairing Termite Damage

Askthebuilder.com - Repairing Termite Damage